This Top Secret Report Just In

Unknown to readers and even Angry Maude, JoeAm three months ago hired a black ops organization to do some undercover work. A "black ops organization"  is a secret agency so secret that its existence must be denied by every alphabet known to the entire spy world, including the FBI, CIA, NBI, NBA, KGB, NRA, IRA, USDA and Greenpeace.

This organization is darker than the cave of the underground river on a moonless light, with that cheap Chinese flashlight the boatmen carry emptied of batteries. You couldn't find this organization with radar or SONAR or GPS or a ten foot pole. It is invisible, a chameleonic shape-shifter able to go places ordinary men and women only dream of. It can hack and crack computers impervious to that world-famous hacking organization Anonymous and its cadre of technically ingenius evil-eyed gameboys.

Are you getting the picture? This organization can go anywhere at anytime and never be seen. It has ears the size of Dumbo and a nose the size of Dumbo and muscles the size of Rambo. It can go up, under, around and through any obstacle, even virus software, sandbagged bunkers, military riot squadrons and Philippine mall police. These guys are professionals, although they may look like Sonny Angara or Piolo Pascual or Charice. Absolutely normal. They go with the flow, bend in the wind, fly in the sky and dig in the dirt. Agile and strong. Smarter than a brass tack.

So Joe hired them at no small expense and gave them their charter:

• Find out who reads JoeAm's Society of Honor blog, and who does not.

Here's what they discovered:

THE READERS OF THIS BLOG

Group One-A:  The Society of Honor. These men and women are a special bunch of intellectually, multi-dimensionally, cross-culturally gifted Filipinos and non-Filipinos  having connections with the Philippines. They are the people who comment. They've been around. They think for themselves. They are mature and civil. They can take a joke and dish one out. They are well-read and know what is going on. They can parse complex problems and articulate solutions. They see the Philippines clearly. They bring a wide set of experiences to bear on topics presented here. They are worth reading, for sure.

They are the makers of ideas.

Group One-B: These are the quiet men and women who read the blog regularly but don't type much. Possibly because they are shy, or perhaps not confident of their English expression or arguments, or perhaps because they don't type much. But they read and think and share ideas with their friends. They are the strong silent types.

They are the bakers of ideas.

Group Two:  Opinion makers and politicians who, by the importance of their station, are required to refrain from commenting. But they read, and think, and incorporate the ideas they like within their own thinking. Journalists are in this bunch, and certain legislative staffers, and even people on President Aquino's cabinet or staff. They may just peek in, or even read regularly. For sure, they are there because some have introduced themselves to JoeAm in the background.

They are the takers and shakers of ideas.

Group Three:  The curious and the spot-checkers. People pass through, maybe from a link plopped on Rappler or other blogs. A few enjoy what they read and stop in once in a while. A great many don't connect with the writing style or the idea the blog is written by an American or the irreverent style or other reasons. They move on down the road.

They are the forsakers of ideas.

THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T READ THIS BLOG

Group One: The anti's and the envious. The complainers don't read this blog. They are offended by JoeAm's relentless positive view of President Aquino and the Philippines. It infuriates and depresses them to even think that their complaints, whines and gripes are so much spit into the wind. Also in this group are other bloggers who somehow think they are competing with JoeAm even though he only competes with himself. These are people who are happy when others fail.

Group Two: The great unread. Face it, the big words, complex concepts, and satirical style zoom right past most Filipinos. There are like 92 million of them in the Philippines. They include the unaware, the unread, the technologically unplugged, and kids.

WHAT READERS THINK ABOUT THE BLOG

In addition to the quantitative look at who reads, our black operators also explored what readers think about the blog. Here are their findings in short bullet-point capsules:

• The pictures are cool. They are funny and lots of times have hidden meanings.

• Joe is nuts, a bit of a friendly blowhard with lots of opinions that sometimes get tiresome, but it is worth it for the refreshing ideas or good jokes that float through now and then.

• People don't understand 34.8% of what Joe is writing about, especially when he gets into literature that people haven't read, or goes back so far with his stories that he appears as a figment of ancient history.

• Readership increases when Angry Maude rages or Joe disses Get Real Post. Readers may be smart, but they like a little good dirt now and then like anybody else.

• They'd like to read more from guest writers, especially Filipino writers. Readers are proud of their own and like the change in pace from Joe's daily grindings.

• They don't like it when Joe imposes a superiority complex on things Filipino. Fortunately, the Society readers are candid enough to take Joe to task when he is going arrogant.

• Readers appreciate the contribution Joe is making to the Philippine dialogue.

JoeAm has released the black ops unit from any further inquiry. He gave them a generous bonus for the depth of their findings. It is rumored they are now training up on underwater sabotage and speaking Chinese. They were last seen waterproofing a bunch of maps of the Spratleys.

The Cybercrime Rules

I have attached a new section to my Policy and Terms in view of an apparent tightening of government authority on expression in the Philippines. This is reflected in the passage of cybercrime legislation now before the Supreme Court where it is being tested for adherence to Constitutional mandates. Included in the law is a strange and unexplained provision that doubles penalties for internet libel, as if the internet were a devious and sinful medium. And it is reflected in proposed legislation by seven House of Representative members to declare entertainer Justin Bieber "persona non grata" in the Philippines (banned from the Philippines) for doing a mocking satirical photo of Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao subsequent to his recent loss by knockout.

This kind of authoritarianism seems to emerge from  powerful people from time to time in the Philippines.  Powerful individuals believe earnestly that they are permitted to set the rules as to what others are allowed to do or say, regardless of the letter or SPIRIT of the Constitutional provision for free expression. I believe it is this same sense of righteous individual power that has led to repeated coups in the past when powerful people don't like the tone of what others in government are doing or saying. Or when vigilantes are allowed by city mayors to prowl the streets shooting criminal suspects. I think it is dangerous to the State when powerful people are allowed to define what laws mean based on their own emotions.

Free speech in the Philippines means "you are free to speak as long as you say what I want you to say."

The VALUES upon which America was founded get lost in Philippine authoritarianism. Values get turned upside down, and the libel law is one of the tools for upending good values.

Because it is a real fact that the Philippines has distinct authoritarian tendencies, it is best to prepare for them.

Libel is a strange crime. It is one person's view of damages versus another's. Malice is in the eye of the beholder, and malice is what underpins a libel suit. One cannot gather forensics evidence on malice, fingerprints or DNA. It is just arguments. And hereabouts,  the courts seem to listen more intently to the arguments of the powerful than arguments from those with little power.

Furthermore, the accused is considered guilty at the levying of a charge. And truth is no defense.

So I need to lay the best groundwork possible to deal with the threat of accusation from the empowered. It is my goal that the ground rules allow for the widest range of responsible free expression in this blog.

Take pornography. Showing naked breasts is offensive to some. Showing the widest ranges of sexual engagement is offensive to others. Violence is offensive to others.

Words are nothing more than linear photos. Rather like sexual photos, and this blog presents a variety of photos DESIGNED to awaken the mind. Where we get into problems is if we mention names. That is like showing a politician in a sex scene.

It may be true that he is a public figure. It may be true that he is engaged in sex. But he din't want to be shown engaged in sex. Or stealing. Or abuse in its many forms.

We put politicians and priests and bloggers and others into the word pictures.

It gets dicey, for sure.

The difference is that we seek to provoke ideas not sexual arousal. Our effort to generate ideas is hindered if we talk in generalities instead of specifics. We can only achieve our goal, a healthy, wealthy and wise Philippines if we are provocative.

We leave the sexual arousal to others, in the main. I mean, Angry Maude is a walking bombshell, so who knows what tittilations she inspires.

It is important that readers understand that this is a blog substantially of opinion, not fact; of satire, not truth; of guess, not measurement. In other words, we intentionally distort truth, in the name of meaning, and articles have precious little foundation in fact. Therefore, any suggestion that this blog site contains malice cannot possibly be true. Parable is not malice; it is a lesson. Satire is not malice; it is literary art in the name of meaning. Opinion is not malice; it is a point of view.

Let me put it another way. When I suggest the President of the Philippines is an idiot in a blog, I don't mean he is an idiot. And if you wait a blog or two, you are likely to read unending praise for him.

The only measurement of good intent or bad is found in the sum of all expressions in the hundreds of blogs contained in The Society of Honor by Joe America. An unbiased reader will find articles rich with opinion, discovery, lessons, and humor, all in the name of building a healthy, wealthy and wise Philippines. To ascribe "malice" to this effort, or any small aspect of the effort, is to grossly distort the aims, ambitions and achievements of the authors, publisher, and commenters.

Visitors are advised to know and understand how this blog operates, and the ground rules, before reading or commenting

This is the new section of my Policy and Terms

Cybercrime Protections (Addition January 6, 2013)

• Nothing in this blog should be taken as a truth. The articles are rife with satire, exaggeration and opinion compiled to produce certain meanings, meanings intended to advance the well-being of the Philippines. Many expressions are intentionally provocative to work through the armor of reader complacency; no malice is intended. It is impossible for the publisher to distinguish fact from fiction for every phrase written. Therefore readers are advised that they are required to take NONE of the statements literally, as truth. The only truth is the meaning readers gather for themselves, based on their own history, conditions and intellect. The Society cannot be responsible for extracted meanings that diverge from intent, where the intent is the well-being of the Philippines.

• As stated in the section "Ownership of Comments", thoughts and opinions expressed by commenters are entirely those of the commenter. The Society has no way to discern which are intended with malice or which are satire, exaggeration and opinion, intended for the well-being of the Philippines. Complaints need to be taken up with the commenter directly.

• The Society gains no revenue from its publications. No advertisements are run. No articles are sold. No incentives are taken to express a certain viewpoint. No payments are made to contributors. The sole reason for being is to advocate for a healthy, wealthy and wise Philippines. The publisher has retired from employment and issues this blog soley for the personal satisfaction he gains by contributing to the well-being of the nation he has come to love. If words contained herein are deemed harmful in anyway, the Society is happy to share its revenue with complainants in whatever proportion complainants deem reasonable.

Monday Morning Ramble

Let me ramble on this blog, as structure is sometimes sooo confining.

Two Senators in One

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago runs hot and cold with me. She is hot with her sponsorship of the bill she just introduced entitled: "An Act Establishing a Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom, Cybercrime Prevention and Law Enforcement, Cyberdefense and National Cybersecurity.”

Now this bill addresses many of the same issues as the Cybercrime Act. Indeed, it declares the Cybercrime Law null and void, dead and buried. The new law was written by the people who must live under the act - bloggers and publishers and internet operators  - rather than by the police. It was the police, after all (the Justice Department), that supplied legislators with the language for the Cybercrime Bill. That is why that bill was detached both from practicality and, possibly, constitutionality.

 So the perspective of this bill is infinitely different and much more respective of free expression. The two aspects of the bill that interested me most were: (1) intellectual property rights, and (2) libel provision. Here's a short interpretation of each section:

• Intellectual Property: Any material published on the internet is considered copyrighted when published. The penalty for stealing someone else's original work is damages plus legal costs. This effectively makes the complainant whole without draconian penalties. Only material cases would end up in court. Nuisance cases would fall to the wayside. The "bias" is toward open expression.

• Libel: The plaintiff must prove malice and damage. If successful, the award is damages incurred. The law specifically allows for criticism of public officials. The dark-ages value of jailing those found guilty of libel for 12 years (the penalty in the current Cybercrime Law, which is being held back from implementation by Supreme Court's Temporary Restraining Order) is thrown out. 

Is that beautiful, or what? Thanks to The Pro-Pinoy Project for putting the text of the bill on line. Click over there if you want to read the details of the proposed legislation. And big thanks to the group of people who crafted this legislation.

The section on libel is appended to this blog at the end.

Back to Senator Santiago. As I wrote a few blogs ago, she is also on the rant about the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the U.S. and Philippines. She has been upset about that document since the Nicole incident many years ago. Currently she is angry that a contractor to the U.S. Navy may have dumped improperly treated waste into domestic waters, and she holds the VFA up as the reason. The rub, unfortunately, is that her public rant risks sowing discord between allies. With China drooling just off the coast.

It would seem to me that a change in this document, if warranted, could easily be pursued quietly between partners. Why does she rant in public? (1) Possibly because she wants to apply pressure on the U.S. to change the document, or (2) She is interested in the limelight, and doesn't really care about the well-being of the Philippines.

Neither is a particularly honorable way to proceed. "Just sayin' . . ."

Wemmins and Jesus

I'm happy to see Senator Cayetano upset with the old men of the Senate, those calcifying crustaceans of ancient bearing and  distorted moral foundation, Enrile, Sotto and maybe even Recto. Women need to run riot in the Philippines to end the lock that those unbendable political sticks have on laws that protect women. And immediately after RH is done, women ought to demand the right to divorce. Marriage is a contract, you know? It is not a slave sale or indentured bondage.

Get God out of the picture and put some common sense and compassion into those marriages where the husband is physically abusive, plays with other women, or refuses to support the kids. Or where the woman does those things. Trust me, trust me, trust me, Jesus is not a sadist and he is compassionate toward women. He was written into the Bible to temper the anger and hostility His Old Man displayed throughout the Old Testament. So let's just get right with Jesus, eh?

Small Philippines, Big Philippines

I'm rather believing the social health of the Philippines depends on two factors: (1) continued use and expansion of the internet, and (2) building a large middle class that has values apart from desperate need.

• The internet can be an educational supplement, you know, like taking vitamins. It allows people to find social enlightenment through interaction with others around the globe. I believe enlightenment is antigravity matter that flows uphill to the most respectful, learned and responsible level.

• The middle class, to sustain its middleness and its classiness, must set aside the envies and grasping needs that lead to anger, theft and cheating.  Young people are the hope, and OFW's returning home bringing the disciplines learned abroad, respectful of law and order and responsibility.

President Aquino has a small vision for the Philippines. I said that in Saturday's blog. He does not have a large vision. His is authoritarian, controlling, dast I say, anal? It is not vibrant and uplifting. He does not see freedom and transparency as fuel for ideas and honor and productivity and REAL pride.

Sure, I could be wrong. I would be happy, happy, happy to be wrong. But I see him complaining again about the media and I know he is thinking small.

The possibility exists that he will waste the grand rush of good will that put him into office.

The internet is unforgiving of people who are okay with a Small Philippines. . . 

Whither Weather?

I like the weather in the Philippines. Our area is cool and breezy except for the middle of the day, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. For these past few weeks, we have been riding on the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which slides north and south as it moves east and west, much like a snake in the grass. So we get splatterings of rain and gustiness of wind now and then. Here's the official Wiki explanation of things:

• The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), known by sailors as "the doldrums", is the area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds come together. The ITCZ appears as a band of clouds, usually thunderstorms, that circle the globe near the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the trade winds move in a southwestern direction from the northeast, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they move northwestward from the southeast. When the ITCZ is positioned north or south of the equator, these directions change according to the Coriolis effect imparted by the rotation of the earth. For instance, when the ITCZ is situated north of the equator, the southeast trade wind changes to a southwest wind as it crosses the equator. The ITCZ is formed by vertical motion largely appearing as convective activity of thunderstorms driven by solar heating, which effectively draw air in; these are the trade winds.

And here is link to a fine, live satellite view of the Pacific courtesy of the U.S. Navy, those evil allies who hired the Malaysian contractor who dumped stuff into the Bay and drove  Senator Latin Santiago nuts. "The humiliation! The humiliation!"

The Wise Men and Women of the Society

I am developing a pretty rich understanding of the social psychology that makes the Philippines click. Or fail to. I figure the Society of Honor will soon be the foremost place on the planet to go to understand the ways and whys of the Philippines. And YOU my trusty readership are the masters, the teachers, the mysterious people in brown robes, hoods pulled over shadowy faces, who wander amongst the trees muttering their counsel to the Oracle, Joe of Am. Except for Angry Maude. She screams, of course, obscenity laden tirades, but what can we do about that?

Ahahahaha, I can see the characters now. There's Edgar, right over there on that stump, huge tome in hand, citing Greek and Zoroastrian wisdoms and enumerating them the way an engineer orders tasks. One hand is waving now and then in the air as he pulls out yet another profound finding and adds it to the list as 6.3.

Johnny is cracking Sancho Panza jokes at Mariano who is drunk in the corner babbling strange Englitches whilst DocB translates them into Latin. Cha is mostly slapping her forehead. Others are wandering and wondering, as good gurus are inclined to do.

We shall set ourselves up as a Society of Honorable Oracles. If you are Filipino, you can come to this place to gain wisdom. Or if you are alive with an inquiring open mind, you can come here, too.

I wonder if there's any money to made in that. Counselors to the lost, or to foreign investors, or to the political leaders in the Philippines. Oh, I already said lost. Sorry.

I see no need to be penurious about our wisdom.

_____________

ADDENDUM: Extract on Libel from the Magna Carta . . .

Section 33. Internet Libel . . .

 A.I. Internet libel. - Internet libel is a public and malicious expression tending to cause  the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead, made on the Internet or on public networks.

 A.2. Malice as an essential element of internet libel. - Internet libel shall not lie if malice or intent to injure is not present.

 A.3. Positive identification of the subject as an essential element of internet libel. - Internet libel shall not lie if the public and malicious expression does not explicitly identify the person who is the subject of the expression, except if the content of the expression is sufficient for positive and unequivocal identification of the subject of the expression.

A.4. Exceptions to internet libel. - The following acts shall not constitute internet libel: 

a) Expressions of protest against the government, or against foreign governments; 

b) Expressions of dissatisfaction with the government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or its officials or agents, or with those of foreign governments;

c) Expressions of dissatisfaction with non-government organizations, unions, associations, political parties, religious groups, and public figures;

d) Expressions of dissatisfaction with the products or services of commercial entities;

e) Expressions of dissatisfaction with commercial entities, or their officers or agents, as related to the products or services that the commercial entities provide;

f) Expressions of a commercial entity that are designed to discredit the products or services of a competitor, even if the competitor is explicitly identified;

g) An expression made with the intention of remaining private between persons able to access or view the expression, even ifthe expression is later released to the public; and,

h) A fair and true report, made in good faith, without any comments or remarks, of any judicial, legislative or other official proceedings, or of any statement, report or speech delivered in said proceedings, or of any other act performed by public officers in the exercise of their functions, or of any matter of public interest.

A.5. Truth as a defense. - Internet libel shall not lie if the content of the expression is proven to be true, or if the expression is made on the basis of published reports presumed to be true, or if the content is intended to be humorous or satirical in nature, except if the content has been adjudged as unlawful or offensive in nature in accordance with existing jurisprudence.

_____________

Violation of Section 33. A. 1. (Internet libel) - This shall only give rise to civil liability and the amount shall be commensurate to the damages suffered.

Satisfaction . . . thanks . . .

Yesterday, I was reading the comments to the recent article: The "Bring 'em Back Act". They were somehow very satisfying. Mature perspectives. Intelligent observations. People bringing new information to the table to supplement the original article. "Great!" I thought.  And as I was basking in the satisfaction, jim-e-cricket popped in with this remark:

• Best discussion ever, thanks...hope we can keep up the quality and some of these comments plant a few good seeds on good soil (before it is too late)!

Yes, that's it exactly.

The Society of Honor does not aspire to be a chat room for social amusement, or a place where people show off by putting others down with immature insult or smart-assed one-upmanship.  What is the point of that, if we seek to display a healthy regard for ourselves and others? The blog does not promote an agenda, other than to think, often playing off of cultural differences, east versus west.

Joe Am's articles are designed to be mildly provocative, and sometimes more than mildly. The aim is to whip up the reader's cranial electrons with a stirring stick, from headline to closing line. The goal is not to pronounce truths, but to suggest them, or draw a few deductions, or even put 2 plus 2 together in a way that we get 7. The idea is that READERS will bring to the table a lot more experience, information and perspective than Joe Am could ever hope to accumulate. And the aim is to do the stirring up of ideas in a way that is . . . well . . . just a little dramatic, a little irreverent, a little literate. So that readers WANT to see what is cooking today at The Society of Honor.

Then we are operating, not as Joe Am the pseudo-oracle, but as a society of intelligent people interested in the well being of the Philippines.

Like the concept that Dr. de Dios expressed in the "Bring 'em Back Act" thread regarding tertiary schools: the best case is quality over quantity. Let other blogs shoot for popular readership and the titillation of insult, we will shoot for intelligence, insight and information and, hopefully, in the way we influence others . . . action.

Interestingly enough, readership is up. And it appears, from recent comments, to be quality readership.

I hope so. The blog needs a certain critical mass to have greater influence on opinion makers.

That's when we jointly are doing the best work we can for the Philippines.

Thank you to all who follow the blog, and especially to those who help build it by contributing their observations, information and opinions.

Read on, write on.